As noted in related U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/429,178 and 09/503,586, devices having metallic and polymeric components are used extensively in the medical field. In many cases, such medical devices are used for delivery of a solution or suspension containing a pharmaceutically active agent, and the pharmaceutically active agent comes into contact with the metallic or polymeric component during the course of its delivery. Metallic materials used in such devices include stainless steel and nickel-titanium superelastic alloys (e.g., nitinol). Polymeric components used in such devices include polycarbonate, polyimide, acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene resins (ABS), poly ether ether ketone (PEEK), epoxy-based adhesives (such as FDA2 or FDA23) and nylon (such as nylon 6,6). The inventors in related U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/429,178 and 09/503,586 have found, however, that despite their reputation as being substantially inert, such materials can be incompatible to varying degrees with certain pharmaceutically active agents.
The present invention provides a simple and unexpected way of overcoming the above and other incompatibilities.